Lath-holder.



J. F. BOWERMAN.

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1,057,799. Patpa Apu-1, V1913. A T I ,/IEIHPS EEEEE 1.

J. P. BOWERMAN.

LA TH HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1912.

1,057,799. Patented Apr. 1,41913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM C0..WA$HINOI'0N. D. C.

JAMES FRASER BOWERMAN, 0F GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

LATE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Application filed J'uly 5, 1912. Serial No. 707,744.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. BowERMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Haven, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lath-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable ot-hers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in lath holders and its object is to provide a device adapted to hold a considerable number of the same, and to place the same in proper position for nailing to either a wall or a ceiling, and to provide the device with various new and useful features as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My device Consists essentially of a rectangular frame, preferably of metal, having lugs at regular intervals to engage the edges 'of the laths at one side of the same, yieldable grippers to oppositely engage the laths, a sliding support for the grippers and means for moving the support to engage the grippers with the laths, whereby the same are held in the same plane and properly spaced apart to properly locate the laths either on a ceiling or a wall, and in various details of construction and arrangement, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 a detail on I of the figures.

an enlarged scale in vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a detail in section showing the manner in which the lugs are formed on the frame. Fig. 4 an elevation partly in section showing the device supported in place on a ceiling and on a wall. Fig. 5 a perspective detail of a portion of the device. Fig. 6 an enlarged detail of a ceiling support for the device and Fig. 7 a detail of the clamping lever for the said support.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all 1 represents a rectangular frame of any convenient dimensions preferably made of fiat metal bars joined at the corners by welding or otherwise, and preferably having its sides longer than the ends. Lugs 2 are provided at regular intervals on the sides of the frame which for convenience may be formed up from the bar by striking out a portion of the same and bending it upward at right-angles as shown in Fig. 3. These lugs are arranged in opposite pairs and each pair engages one edge of a lath. To engage the opposite edge of the lath and grip the same against the lugs, a series of slides 4 are provided preferably formed of a strip of metal bent twice at right-angles with one long leg extending up within the plane of the lath and each leg provided with an opening whereby they are slidably mounted in series on a rod 5. This rod is carried on a longitudinally slidable bar 3 extending through openings in hangers 9 fixed beneath the respective ends of the frame. This bar 3 is movable longitudinally to bring the grippers against the laths by a cam lever 7 pivoted on a projecting end of the bar and engaging the hanger 9. When the bar is released, by turning t-he cam lever with the narrow side of the cam toward the hanger, a spring 1,0 connected to the bar slides the same in the opposite direction to move the grippers away from the laths and release the same.

To support the frame on a wall in proper relation to bring the lath in position to be nailed thereto hooks 8 are attached to one end of the frame. to support the same on the lower lath nailed to the wall. This hook is adapted to extend through an opening between adjoining lath and has an upturned end to engage the inner side of the lath above to prevent the frame from being accidentally displaced. By swinging the bottom of the frame outward the hook can be disengaged and the frame removed after the laths have been nailed to the wall. To support the device from a ceiling the same hooks are used to suspend one end of the device close beneath the joists and to support the other end of the same a clamp is provided as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7. This clamp I prefer to make of two bars pivoted to each other intermediate their ends and spacedl apart to properly embrace one of the jo-ists as at 12. I prefer also to furnish the same with spurs 15 to prevent slipping on the joists. The lower end of one of these bars is bent at right-angles and pivoted thereto is a cam 14 to engage the and serves to eXtend beneath the slide 3 and support the frame at the end opposite the hooks 8.

To accommodate laths of various Widths and insure the grip on the same springs 6 are mounted on the rod 5 and within the U shaped grippers to yieldingly torce each gripper toward the respective lath. To furnish stops against which the springs rest and to move the grippers away from the lath pins 1l are inserted in the rod to suitably engage the springs at one side and the grippers at the other side.

From the foregoing description the operation of my device is readily understood. The frame with parts attached and with the slide 3 released, is laid upon any suitable support and the lath laid thereon in proper position between the lugs on one side and the grippe-rs on the other side of eachl lath. By turning the cam the grippers are each properly engaged with each lath by the yielding pressure of the respective spring With suHicient pressure to hold the lath in place on the trame and space the same apart properly for putting them on the wall. The frame is then hung on the wall as illustrated in Fig. Ll, or supported upon the ceiling as shown in the same ligure, the lath can then be rapidly nailed in place, and by releasing the cam 7 the frame detached from thelaths.

By means of this device laths can be placed upon the Wall or ceiling much more rapidly than by manu-al operation one at a time in the usual way. I prefer, however, to utilize a suitable nailing machine by which the nails may be partially driven into the laths after they have been assembled in the holder and before placing the same on the wall or ceiling. Such a machine is not comprised in this invention which obviously may be used as illustrated without such machine.

What I claim is l. A lath holder, comprising a. frame having lugs at regular intervals to engage one edge of each lath, yieldable grippers to engage the opposite edge of each lath, a longitudinally slidable support tor the grippers and means for moving the support to engage the grippers with the laths.

2. A lath holder, comprising a rectangu lar frame having upward projecting lugs, a bar slidable longitudinally beneath the frame, grippers carried by the bar, means for yieldably engaging each separate gripper with a lath, a spring to move the bar to disengage the grippers from the laths, and a cam to move the bar in the opposite direction to engage the grippers with the lath.

3. A lath holder, comprising a rectangular frame having upwardly projecting lugs at regular intervals to engage one edge of each: lath, a bar beneath the frame longitudinally slidable in bearings attached to the frame, a spring attached to the bar to move the same in one direction, a ca-m pivoted on the bar to move the same in the opposite direction, and yieldable grippers mounted on the bar to engage the other edges of each lath.

4. A lath holder, comprising a frame, lugs on theframe to engage one edge of each lath, a bar slidably mounted in the frame, a rod carried by the bar, U shaped grippers slidable on the rod each having one leg adapted to engage the other edge of each lath, springs on the rod to engage the respective grippers, and stops on the rod to oppositely engage each respective gripper and spring.

5. A lat-h holder, comprising a rectangular frame of flat metallic bars joined at the corners, lugs struck up out of the side bars of the frame, a bar slidable in bearings attached to the end bars of the frame, grippers carried by the slidable bar and yieldably engaging each respective lath, a cam pivoted on the bar and engaging a bearing to move the bar in one direction, and a spring connected to the bar to move the same in the opposite direction.

6. A lath holder, comprising a rectangular frame having lugs at regular intervals on its upper side and arranged in opposing pairs, hangers secured to the under side of the frame, a bar longitudinally slidable in the hangers, a rod carried by the bar and spaced apart therefrom, U shaped grippers having one long leg and one short leg perforated to receive the rod and slidable thereon, a spring surrounding the rod and within each gripper, pins in the rod to oppositely engage the respective spring and gripper and limit the movements thereof, and means for shifting the bar longitudinally in the hangers.

7. A lath holder, comprising a frame, means for temporarily securing laths to the frame, hooks onone end of the frame to engage a lath and support the frame, a clamp to detachably engage a joist, and an arm on the clamp to support the other end of the frame.

8. In combination with a frame and means for spacing apart and holding laths upon the trame, hooks on one end of the frame adapted to pass between two laths and having an upturned end to engage a lath and support one end of the trame, and a support for the other end of the frame comprising a pair of jaws pivoted to each other intermediate their ends, a cam pivoted on one jaw and engaging the other j aw to force the jaws apart, and an arm on the cam adapted to support the other end of the frame. q,

9. A lath holder, comprising a trame having lugs at regular intervals, a bar slidable 0n the frame .and projecting therefrom at one end, gripper-s carried by the bar to en- In testimony whereof I aflx my signature gage lathe oppostely to the lugs,da clamp in presence of two witnesses.

having jaws to embrace a jost, an an arm supported by the clamp adapted to engage JAMES FRASER BOWERMAN the bar and support one end of the frame, Vtnesses:

and means adapted to engage a lath and ABRAM RUSTER, support the other end of the frame. I. N. TUBBS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

